


how to escape a godly manifestation of fear

by NedandChuck



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, Post 155, lots of other kisses, they are in love and i wanna cry abt it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 22:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21064238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NedandChuck/pseuds/NedandChuck
Summary: Georgie is Melanie's emergency contact, but she didn't really expect to have to respond to a call about her maybe-kind-of-they-haven't-really-talked-about-it-girlfriend pulling something so drastic to quit her job





	how to escape a godly manifestation of fear

**Author's Note:**

> working title: nooooo dont gouge ur eyes out ur so sexy ahaha

It’s infuriating, having to wait in the colorful little room, staring at a poster on the wall across for her telling her to, “Breathe,” promising that “everything will be alright,” despite not knowing a damn thing. The nurse at the reception desk gives her a nervous look, like he’s scared she’s going to explode if she keeps tapping her foot so quickly.

Since Georgie got the phone call telling her that Melanie was on her way to the _hospital_ for serious mutilation, she’s been terrified. She had almost forgotten to lock her front door in her rush to get out, had fumbled her keys until she wanted to sob trying to start her car, and had broken innumerous traffic laws so that she could be at the hospital as soon as she possibly could. One of her shoes is still sitting, upended by the front door where she left it after she couldn’t make her shaking fingers tie the laces.

And now they just expected her to _wait?_

All of that energy that she had built up inside on her drive down was now focused in her bouncing, shoeless foot and her arms tightening across her chest. They had said on the phone that Melanie was in critical condition, that they would “do everything they could, but it looked serious.”

Fucking Jon.

Fucking Magnus Institute, and fear entities, and spider-whatevers.

Georgie had always thought that concern, worry, stress, were just extensions of fear. Why won’t her shitty superpower work now when she needs it the most, when she needs to maintain her calm for when Melanie is finally allowed to see visitors. And she will, soon. She’ll be okay. The beaming black dog on the poster across the room says so.

It takes ages for someone to finally come see Georgie, at which point all of the frustration has drained out of her, leaving her exhausted. That or it has all decided to catch in her throat, making her unable to do anything but nod as the nurse gently updates her on Melanie’s condition. When he calls her Melanie’s emergency contact, Georgie barely has time to be shocked or anything, just nods her head and shuffles her feet towards the door to the patient room they are headed for.

The door is cracked open and the nurse pushes it the rest of the way to let Georgie in. It’s all she’s been wanting for the past three hours, but her feet stop her at the threshold and refuse to let her cross. Melanie turns towards her when her breath hitches, and clears her throat before calling out in a soft, clear voice, “G?”

She’s at the hospital bedside in an instant, taking Melanie’s outstretched hand in both of her own, trying to keep her breathing steady even though sobs choke her words.

“What did you _do?_” Melanie has the audacity to laugh when Georgie slaps her on the arm, and the nurse makes a little noise of protest, but both women ignore him.

“I got out, Georgie,” her voice is conspiratorial, and Georgie lifts the hand not clutching Melanie’s to smooth one thumb along the bandage at her temple. Melanie continues, her grip getting tighter as her voice gets more excited. “Jon told me how. I don’t think he’s going to do it, but he told me how to get out, so I did it. I know that it was… that it was stupid, okay, G? I know, but you don’t understand, you weren’t under that thing’s control. I feel so much better now, like I finally have free will again.”

Georgie is grateful that the nurse had snuck out earlier, because Melanie’s dazed ramblings would have been reasonable cause for alarm for anyone who isn’t in the loop. There is no part of her that agrees with what Melanie has done. A rusty awl they had told her, and she shudders and pushes the image away.

Still, she has to admit.

Melanie looks so much happier than she has in a very long time. Even her voice is ten times lighter than she’s heard it since she sent her to Jon in the first place. She lets out a sigh and reaches up to pull her fingers through Melanie’s hair, watching with an ache in her chest as the woman leans into the touch. It’s good that she’s finally safe.

Georgie _will_ keep her that way with all of the fight she has left in her.

She stays by her side until she’s allowed to check out of the hospital.

“Take me home,” Melanie falls against the passenger chair of Georgie’s little car. Georgie’s heart drops for a second, because of course she will want to be at her own flat, the place she feels most comfortable, the place she has probably been missing ever since this entire fiasco began. It soars again when she continues, “I miss the Admiral.”

So they go to Georgie’s flat, they make dinner and go through the care instructions the doctor gave them. After a couple of hours of laying on one another on the couch, listening to some podcast neither are paying as much attention to as they are the cat on top of them, Georgie cracks her fingers and sits up, swinging her legs off of Melanie’s lap.

“Do you need help finding the bedroom?”

“Ms. Barker,” Melanie smirks, “Are you propositioning me? Sharing a bed before marriage is a bold suggestion.”

“No, I, ah,” Georgie flushes and runs her fingers through her own curls, her usual reaction to Melanie’s teasing implications of something romantic between them. She’s just joking. Probably. “I was going to take the couch. Be a real gentleman.”

Melanie laughs lightly and stands, feeling for Georgie’s arm and pulling it down so she can lace their fingers together. “No, you’re not. Come on, we’re sharing.”

So Georgie leads the way, handing Melanie her pajamas before changing into her own. She sits on the edge of the bed as Melanie brushes her teeth, watching her feel her way through the newness of every mundane experience. She comes back with a brilliant smile, and Georgie finally lets herself cry, just a little bit.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffles, and feels all the worse when Melanie’s smile drops and she hurries to sit beside Georgie. “If I hadn’t told you to go to the Institute in the first place, none of this would have happened. You’ve been through so much, and it almost _broke you_.”

“Hey,” Melanie reaches out for Georgie’s cheek, and thumbs away the tears that fall, “None of that was your fault. I went to give a statement of my own free will, and then I went back of it as well. I didn’t stay by choice, but that isn’t something you made me do. It’s not your fault, and it’s not mine, it’s whatever ridiculous power of nothing important has decided to spend its time ruining people’s lives.”

Georgie’s breaths continue to come out shaky and stuttering, but she nods against Melanie’s palm and closes her eyes when she presses their foreheads together.

When her breathing has evened out, she feels Melanie slowly tilt her head back and kiss her, gentle as anything. A surprised giggle separates them, and Georgie takes in the look of total fondness in Melanie’s face for a moment before reaching up to tangle both hands in her hair and pull her right back down.

“I love you,” she murmurs against her lips, “I love you,” she mouths the words into her neck, “I’ve probably been in love with you for years,” she muses as Melanie presses her into the bed and begins mapping her way across Georgie’s body with her hands. It’s loving, and it’s sweet, and years overdue if they are both being honest with themselves.

“I love you, too,” Melanie tells her after, when they’re cuddled together, whispering against the comfortable quiet of the night and finding ways to make the other giggle. She says it as if Georgie hadn’t heard her breath it out twenty minutes ago, “I just realized I didn’t say it earlier, but I do. You’ve been with me, supporting me for so long. I don’t think I would have had the courage to try to get better if I didn’t have you in my life.”

Georgie doesn’t correct her, just smiles into her girlfriend’s shoulder and presses kisses up to her forehead. “I think you would have, I think you wanted it so badly that nothing could have stopped you. But I’m glad I could be there and help. I don’t… I don’t condone your most _recent_ ways of escaping, but I’m so proud of you, you seem so much happier now.”

“I am,” Melanie melts into her embrace when Georgie wraps her arms around her.

“If you ever scare me like that again, though, I’m going to kill you myself.”

Melanie’s light laugh and the words that follow are muffled against Georgie’s collarbone.

“Duly noted.”


End file.
